The Rabbitohs and Titans kick off a disrupted Round 15 due to State of Origin 2 and it’s the Titans who have been hardest hit. Jarryd Hayne and Nathan Peats are unavailable on NSW duty, while Jarrod Wallace will miss the match either through suspension or QLD Origin selection. Konrad Hurell and Kane Elgey are under injury clouds, but the Titans do get a boost with the return of Kevin Proctor from a club-enforced suspension. The Rabbitohs side is expected to be unchanged from the side that was gallant in last week’s loss to the Broncos.

The Rabbitohs have won 8 of the 14 matches all-time but the Titans have won 2 of the last 3. The Titans won a thriller 29-28 in Perth last season, with Titans prop Ryan James scoring a double.

South Sydney are 14th on the ladder with a 4-9 record and enter this off a 24-18 loss to Brisbane at Suncorp. The Rabbitohs have won just 2 of their last 10 matches and are 1-5 at ANZ this season. Souths have conceded at least 18 points in 11 of 13 matches this season. Gold Coast have dropped three on the trot and have failed to surpass more than 12 points in those three defeats. The Titans have conceded 30-plus in 3 of their last 4 and in an astonishing 7 of 13 clashes in 2017.

Languishing four points outside the top eight in 13th and 14th place on the ladder respectively, the Titans and Rabbitohs clash in a must-win duel for both sides as they look to maintain pace with the top eight.

Unfortunately for the Titans, they face a humungous uphill battle to even be competitive in this showdown, let alone fly back to the Gold Coast with two competition points.

The Titans are missing Jarryd Hayne, Nathan Peats and Jarrod Wallace to Origin, while Kane Elgey and Tyrone Roberts are both out injured, meaning Neil Henry is working with a very inexperienced side on Friday night.

Furthermore, after such a bright period which included wins over last year’s grand finalists Melbourne and Cronulla, the Titans are on a three-match losing streak and haven’t won since the 13th of May, losing against Manly, North Queensland and the Warriors in recent weeks.

Origin stars Jarryd Hayne, Nathan Peats and Jarrod Wallace are out for the Titans along with the injured Kane Elgey, Tyrone Roberts and Karl Lawton. Chris McQueen slots into five-eighth, with Kevin Proctor, Nathaniel Peteru and Pat Politoni joining the starting pack and Eddy Pettybourne and Pat Vaivai join the bench.